Those who forget to communicate with the spirits of their ancestors often remember it to their detriment.
The teenager wore the ritual makeup on his face dedicated to the practice of circumcision among the Kota people. Throughout the Odzala region, one could see two small incisions on the bare chests of Mboko men, attesting to their initiation. The young teenager had just completed the ceremony. He still wore the appropriate attire, a clever blend of tradition and modernity. On a piece of cloth, it read, "March 8th, International Women's Day." This intrigued an elder who approached him and recounted his own experience with the ritual:
"We had our way of performing circumcision according to tradition. My father was the district chief, and I had to return to our village for the ritual tests. But before arriving, I passed through the village of Chief Mbwuangoyi, my maternal grandfather. I had to go through, but the ancestors resided there. Before taking any action, it was better to speak to them at the cemetery or in the sacred forests. My mother and uncle went ahead on foot, but they made the mistake of not informing the ancestors that they were leaving for their grandson's circumcision. We had no knowledge of this. My father, along with other relatives and myself, went by car. On the lands of old Mbwangoyi, there flowed a lively river that formed a waterfall. It was during the peak of the dry season; there, the yellow earth usually prevented vehicles from slipping. The ground was hard. When we crossed the river on a damaged wooden bridge, the vehicle passed without any trouble. Then, when we climbed a small slope, the car abruptly stopped and remained in place.
'Ah! What's happening?' my uncle questioned. 'Perhaps they didn't inform the ancestors!' he exclaimed.
He got out, ran behind the houses, towards the forest, and then called out to the ancestors: